GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY CLOSED

With over 4,210 acres of both natural chapparal-covered terrain and landscaped parkland and picnic areas, Griffith Park is one of the largest municipal parks with urban wilderness areas in the United States. Situated in the eastern Santa Monica Mountain range, the Park’s elevations range from 384 to 1,625 feet above see level. With an arid climate, the Park’s plant communities vary from coastal sage scrub, oak and walnut woodlands to riparian vegetation with trees in the Park’s deep canyons. The California native plants represented in Griffith Park include the California species of oak, walnut, lilac, mountain mahagony, sages, toyon, and sumac. Present, in small quantities, are the threatened species of manzanita and berberis.

WAYS TO GET HERE

Griffith Park lies just west of the Golden State Freeway (I-5), roughly between Los Feliz Boulevard on the south and the Ventura Freeway (SR 134) on the north. Freeway off-ramps leading to the park from I-5 are Los Feliz Boulevard, Griffith Park (direct entry) and Zoo Drive. Approaching the park on SR 134 eastbound, take either the Forest Lawn Drive or Victory Boulevard offramps. From SR 134 westbound, take Zoo Drive or Forest Lawn Drive. After leaving freeways, follow the signs into the park

LADOT Dash Bus

The higher elevations of Griffith Park can be extremely congested with heavy traffic and limited parking opportunities especially on weekends, holidays and during the Summer. The easiest option to visit the Griffith Observatory or to hike to a view of the Hollywood Sign will be to use public transit, the DASH Observatory shuttle, which is available 7 days a week,

Attractions

Over the years recreational attractions have been developed throughout the Park, however an amazingly large portion of the Park remains virtually unchanged from the days Native American villages occupied the area's lower slopes. Today's Griffith Park offers numerous family attractions, an assortment of educational and cultural institutions, and miles of hiking and horseback riding trails, and provides visitors an ideal environment for enjoyable recreation activities.

Travel Town Museum

Visitors Center Auditorium

History

Originally a part of the Spanish land grant, Rancho Los Feliz, the park was named for its former owner, Colonel Griffith J. Griffith. Born in Glamorganshire, South Wales, Griffith emigrated to the United States in 1865, eventually, making a personal fortune in California gold mine speculation. In 1882, Griffith settled in Los Angeles, and purchased a 4,071 acre portion of the Rancho Los Feliz, which stretched northward from the northern boundaries of the Pueblo de Los Angeles. On December 16, 1896, the civic-minded Griffith bequeathed 3,015 acres of his Rancho Los Feliz estate as a Christmas gift to the people of Los Angeles to be used as parkland. The enormous gift, equal to five square miles, was to be given to the city unconditionally - or almost so.

" It must be made a place of recreation and rest for the masses, a resort for the rank and file, for the plain people," Griffith said on that occasion. " I consider it my obligation to make Los Angeles a happier, cleaner, and finer city. I wish to pay my debt of duty in this way to the community in which I have prospered."

Since Griffith's original gift, further donations of land, along with City purchases and the reversion of private land to public domain have expanded the Park to its present size. Col. Griffith died July 7, 1919, however, he had left a sizeable trust fund to complete the dreams he had for the park; specifically designating funds for the construction of a Greek amphitheater (the Greek Theatre, built 1930) and an observatory and hall of science
(Griffith Observatory, built 1935.)

Griffith Park stands today a monument to the dedicated vision of one man--Griffith Jenkins Griffith, Park Commission, civic philanthropist, advocate of parklands, and fervent speaker of recreation for the health of Los Angeles.

Description:
The Autry is a museum dedicated to exploring and sharing the stories, experiences, and perceptions of the diverse peoples of the American West, connecting the past to the present to inspire our shared future. The museum presents a wide range of exhibitions and public programs, including lectures, film, theater, festivals, family events, and music, and performs scholarship, research, and educational outreach. The Autry's collection of more than 500,000 pieces of art and artifacts includes the Southwest Museum of the American Indian Collection, one of the largest and most significant in the United States.

On display in the Autry’s galleries are significant Native American objects and depictions of the American West by famous artists and entertainers. From gold scales and the gold rush era to the stagecoach, from saloons to saddles, from firearms to cowboy gear, these galleries uncover fascinating and often complex stories of the American expansion into the west and the impact it had on native communities.

Greek Theatre

Description:
Located within Griffith Park, the historic Greek Theatre stands as one of the nation’s most beloved and recognized outdoor entertainment venues. Throughout its history, the Greek has played host to some of the biggest legends in music – from Sir Elton John to Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen to Carlos Santana and many more in between. This iconic venue has also served as a site for numerous high school graduations, community events and backdrops for television shows and motion pictures.

Los Angeles’ premiere outdoor theatre is nestled in a picturesque canyon within the Park. Built in 1929, the Greek Theatre is one of Los Angeles’ most historic entertainment venues and has played host to some of the biggest names in music and entertainment. This 5,800-seat venue offers an intimate concert setting under the stars, featuring superb acoustics and excellent sight lines. Accessible by public transit.

Greek Theatre History:
The history of the Greek Theatre dates to 1882, when Colonel Griffith J. Griffith, came to America from South Wales to seek fortune in gold mining. Colonel Griffith settled in Los Angeles and purchased the Los Feliz Rancho, which he later donated to the City of Los Angeles in 1896. This three thousand acre gift to the residents of Los Angeles was given with the intent that Griffith Park would be made an eternal place of public recreation.

For 16 years, the dedicated land remained in its natural state - a grand public park and symbol of open recreational space. In 1919, Colonel Griffith’s will left instructions setting up a trust fund of $1,000,000 for the construction of a world class observatory and a Greek Theatre, where residents of the city he so tirelessly served and loved, could forever come to enjoy the best entertainment in the world.

After an extensive survey of Greek theatres throughout the world, the City’s Park Commissioners approved a design for the building, incorporating a number of modernizations to the standard Greek Theatre model. In 1928, the Greek’s cornerstone was laid, with the official building dedication on Sept. 25, 1930. The first seasons at the Greek provided operatic music and according to the Los Angeles Times, the first show on June 26, 1931, was attended by nearly 4,000 patrons. Seats in the first two sections sold for $1 and the remaining seats were free.

The 1930s brought additional musical and theatrical arts and during most of the 1940s, the Greek was used as a barracks during World War II. Later, a San Francisco-based theatrical producer brought stage shows like Showboat and Anything Goes, for multiple week, summer engagements.

Since the 1950s, promoters and entertainment companies alike have partnered with the City to help sustain, support and bring improvements to the theatre’s house and backstage areas to stay current and compete with other similar renowned amphitheaters.

In the 1980s, the Greek expanded its seating and continued to expand up through the 1995 earthquake retrofit. In 2006, the Greek underwent a multi-million renovation restoring the theatre’s original façade in celebration of the venue’s 75th Anniversary, bringing the capacity to its present 5,900.

On November 1, 2015, the Greek Theatre underwent a much needed refurbishment and structural enhancements, while ushering in a new era of public entertainment management– where the City of Los Angeles, through its Department of Recreation and Parks, has been self-operating the Greek as an open venue, allowing artists, promoters and the public to book acts directly with the City to provide Angelinos with continued world class musical entertainment, public and professional performances.

Griffith Merry-Go-Round

Park Center
(323) 665-3051

Hours:
Open weekends throughout the year and weekdays during the summer, and over Christmas and Easter vacations, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Description:
Located in Park Center between the Los Angeles Zoo and the Los Feliz park entrance, the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round has been a Los Angleles family attraction for over five generations. Built in 1926 by the Spillman Engineering Company and brought to Griffith Park in 1937, the Merry-Go-Round boasts 68 horses, everyone a jumper. Each horse is finely carved with jewel-encrusted bridles, detailed draped blankets and decorated with sunflowers and lion's heads. A Stinson 165 Military Band Organ, reputed to be the largest band organ accompanying a carousel on the West Coast, plays over 1500 selections of marches and waltz music.

Griffith Park & Southern Railroad

Hours
10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Weekdays and until 5 p.m. On weekends and holidays.

Description:
The miniature train ride has served the public in Griffith Park since 1948. Youngsters of all ages enjoy the experience of riding the FREEDOM TRAIN or the COLONEL GRIFFITH on the Griffith Park Southern Railroad. The track stretches over a mile and takes the rider past pony rides, through a lush green meadow, through an old Western town, and past a Native American village.

L.A. Equestrian Center

Ask any horse lover: the Los Angeles Equestrian Center is the premier equine facility of its kind. A pleasing and professionally operated multi-use facility in Southern California with everything the discerning horse owner and event organizer could ask for and more.

Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum

Description:
Located adjacent to the Travel Town Museum is a local club devoted to the preservation of locomotives through scale models. Free public rides are offered by the club on their live steam scale model trains.

Pony Rides

Description:
Located at the Los Feliz entrance to the Park. Ponies and horses give youngsters safe rides around an oval track. Miniature covered wagon rides are also a feature of the pony concession.

Flora and Fauna

Over 150 plant species have been recorded in Griffith Park, including trees, shrubs, grasses, wildflowers, ferns, and vines. The Park boasts rare native species such as Southern California black walnut (found only in the Los Angeles area).

Mammals making their home in the Park include mule deer, coyote, racoon, gray fox, opossum, skunk, bobcat, and mountain lion. Hundreds of native insects inhabit the Park, including two striking butterflies: the black, white, and orange California sister and the lime-green bramble hairstreak, neither of which occurs in the surrounding area.

The Park is also home to a variety of lizards and snakes, including California whipsnake, California kingsnake, ringneck snake, gopher snake, and western rattlesnake.

Ornithologists have identified over 200 species of birds in the Park, which is an important stopover for migrating birds and provides an abundance of habitat for wintering birds.

Fern Dell / Trails Café

More than 50 fern species thrive among select tropical plants and flowers along this shady, winding trail. Located near the Western Canyon entrance.
Visit The Trails Cafe, open 8am-5pm.

Bronson Caves

One of the most famous caves in the world is not a spectacular cavern like Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico or Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Instead it is a set of man-made gouges and a tunnel in Griffith Park that has been used in hundreds of movies, serials, and television shows – including as the iconic Bat Cave entrance on the 1960s Batman television series – that you have seen time and again on the screen. Bronson Caves are the remnant of a rock quarry opened by Union Rock company in 1903 and closed after about twenty years. The dry, jagged landscape and cave-like openings have stood in for landscapes all over the world as well as other planets.

Movies have included the finale to director John Ford's 1956 masterpiece western "The Searchers," where John Wayne pursues Natalie Wood to the entrance of a cave, along with parts of 1962's "Ride the High Country," Frank Capra's 1937 epic "Lost Horizon" and "The Sword and the Sorcerer," released in 1982. Episodes of "Gunsmoke," "The Lone Ranger," "Rawhide," "Bonanza," "Little House on the Prairie," "Have Gun, Will Travel," "Bat Masterson," "The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin," "Star Trek Voyager" and "Wonder Woman" were shot there. The classic 1956 "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" owes part of its look to Bronson Canyon. So does 1941's "Adventures of Captain Marvel," 1938's "Dick Tracy Returns" and the 1933 version of "The Three Musketeers."

The quarry of Bronson Canyon is reached by a short walk over a bridge and up a gated driveway on the east side of Canyon Drive.

Ranger Station

Griffith Park Golf

The Harding Municipal Golf Course was Griffith Park's first all-grass course designed by George C. Thomas with later changes by William P. Bell & William Johnson. It opened in August 1923 as Municipal #2, also known as the Riverside course. It was renamed the Warren G. Harding Memorial Golf Course in 1924 beginning a tradition of naming Griffith Park golf courses after American Presidents. Harding first held the L.A. City Championships in 1923 and co-hosted the Los Angeles Open from 1936-1938 along with the Wilson Golf Course.

Wilson Golf Course

The 6,967 yard Wilson Golf Course was the third municipal golf course built in Griffith Park. Designed by architect George C. Thomas, with later changes by William P. Bell & William Johnson, it opened in 1927 replacing nine holes of the original Tom Bendelow designed 1914 Municipal Golf Links. Wilson first held the L.A. City Championships in 1928 and co-hosted the Los Angeles Open from 1936-1938 along with Harding Golf Course.